Speculum and dilator



(ModeL) N. s. HUBBELL. SPEGULUM AND'DILATQR. No. 281,880. Patganted July 24, 1883.

W 5/ 2/05 s as PETERS, Phowlithographur. Wfllungtun. no. I

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NEWTON S. HUBBELL, OF MEOHANICSVILLE, IOIVA.

SPECULUM AND DILATOR.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 281,880, dated July 24, 1883.

Application filed June 2, 1883.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NEWTON S. HUBBELL, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Mechanicsville, in the county of Cedar and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Speculums and Dilators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain new and a speculum, its use being evident to skilled practitioners and this invention consists in the means employed for carrying out the object of the same, and in the construction, shape, and combination of the parts, as will be hereinafter set forth, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view. Fig. 2 is a front view; Fig. 3, a plan view, showing the wings extended in dotted lines; and Fig. 4 is a detailed view.

This invention relates more especially to an improvement upon that class of dilators which includes the speculum known as Bozeman s, which is well known and has been in use since the year 1658; an d it consists in providing the speculum with a narrow handle or shank and spoon-shaped blades, which are provided at their ends with fingerrests, the shank of said blades being provided with upright pillars, to which are pivoted cross-bars, and are provided with means for adjusting the same laterally, both intregard to the end of the spoon and the handle thereof.

My invention further consists in the construction and combination of the parts whereby a ready and effective means for adjusting the spoons or dilators is provided, which con- (Modem struction will be hereinafter set forth, and is fully illustrated in the annexed drawings.

In the annexed drawings, A A represent the blades of my improved lateral dilator, the portion a being concave in cross-sections and slightly curved longitudinally. This spoonshaped portion a is perfectly smooth on its exterior or convex side, and to the inner portion thereof is secured a suitable shank, b, which is curved, as shown, and is provided at its outer end with a flattened portion, 0, which form suitable grasping means or finger-rests for dilating the blades. To the front of these finger-pieces c, as shown, are secured vertical. pillars or standards (I, which are bifurcated at their ends, so as to embrace the handle and the angular slotted arms e, attached to the upper portion of the aforesaid vertical standard (I.

To the front of these standards are pivoted flat hinges, having their upper portion bent, so as to extend at right angles with the base of the hinge and standard (I. The horizontal or upper portion of these hinges is pro vided with slots f, and with projecting lugs d d upon one of the hinges, while the opposite hinge is provided with lugs g g, which extend forwardly 011 the rear horizontal slotted arm and overlap the side of the forward arm. This rear arm, f, is provided at one end with a bent portion near the standard (I, while the outer end of the opposite horizontal end is curved, so as to lie within this offset or bent portion, as fully shown in the annexed drawings. I The two wings or arms of this dilator are secured to each other by means of a single bolt, which is provided on its inner end with a cut-away portion, 71, the sides being fiat and the ends screw-threaded, so as to receive a suitable nut, h, the portion between the shoulder and the nut h being of a length equal to the width of the horizontal arm f, and the flattened portion resting within the slots f, and bearing upon the upper and lower portions thereof. The outer end of this bolt H passes through the slot in the arms 0 c, which are rigidly attached to the standard (I, and this bolt, at its outer end, is screw-threaded and provided with a thumb-nut, 1 It will be seen by this construction that by loosening the nut h the outer end of this dilator can be adjusted laterally to an extent double the length of the slot f, and when said nut is tightened the IOO parts are secured rigidly to each other. The ends or spoon-shaped portions of this dilator are adjusted laterally by means of the set screw t, which bears upon the slotted bars a.

It will be noticed in this implement that the operating or adjusting parts are raised above the plane of the blade or spoon, and will not obstruct the view, and that the different adjustments are independent of each other, which is important in special cases when the exterior portion of the opening in which the dilator is inserted is oversensitive; and by the construction hereinbefore described this dilator is adapted to be used in such operations as are necessary to be performed upon virgins with out disastrous results, and I believe that I am the first to construct a dilator which can be used in such cases. 7 7

It will also be noticed that the ends of the spoon are extended without stretching unduly the exterior portion.

Having thus described my invention, the advantages of which will be obvious to the skillful practitioner, I do not wish to confine myself to the precise construction herein shown, but reserve the right to modify the same without departing from the spirit of my invention.

It will be readily seen that this dilator is adapted to be used in connection with any or all bivalve speculums for the purpose of making lateral dilations of the vagina, and thereby, when used in such connection, answering all the purposes of a four-valve speculum,with the advantages of independent adjustment, as

the antero-posterior and lateral dilations are independent of each other.

The construction of this dilator may be va ried so as to be used as a dilator for the cheeks, when it is desired for dental purposes in filling the molar teeth.

YVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A bivalve dilator having blades or adjustable arms, with spoon-shaped portion a, shank b, and handle orfinger-rest 0, connected to each other, for the purposes set forth.

2. The blades or dilators A, provided with standards D, secured rigidly thereto, and slotted transverse arms 0, in combination with the hinged connecting means f, having transverse slotted portion, and means for uniting the parts adjustably to each other, as herein set forth.

3. In a bivalve dilator, the dilators A,with spoon-shaped ends a and finger-rests 0, provided with upright standards (1, having bent and slotted blades 6 rigidly attached thereto, in combination with the transverse slotted bars f, hinged to the pillars d, the parts being united, so as to be capable of independent adjustment, by means of the bolt H,with set screws,the parts being organized and adapted for the uses hereinbefore described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

NEWVTON S. HUBBELL.

IVitnesses:

J. N. I-IELMER, H. BAGLEY. 

